VARIOUS – O Brother, Where Art Thou? (Original Soundtrack) [25th Anniversary Reissue] – 2LP – Black Vinyl [FEB 20]

2LP – Standard Edition Black Vinyl housed in a Gatefold Sleeve. Reissued to mark the soundtrack’s 25th Anniversary.

O Brother, Where Art Thou? (Music from the Motion Picture) is the soundtrack album of music from the 2000 American film of the same name, written, directed and produced by the Coen Brothers and starring George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, and John Goodman.

The film is set in Mississippi during the Great Depression. The soundtrack, produced by T-Bone Burnett, uses bluegrass, country, gospel, blues, and Southern folk music appropriate to the time period. With the exception of a few vintage tracks (such as Harry McClintock‘s 1928 single “Big Rock Candy Mountain“), most tracks are modern recordings.

The O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack is the album that is certified 8 times platinum by the RIAA, reintroduced traditional American roots music to the masses, and brought genres like bluegrass back to the mainstream. The album’s commercial and critical success took many by surprise, influencing a new wave of popular music rooted in the American South.

The soundtrack sparked a 21st-century cultural renaissance for American roots music, including gospel, blues, country, and folk. Its success went beyond just album sales; it became a number one hit on the Billboard 200 chart and spent years on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. The album also garnered several prestigious awards, including the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, a rare feat for a film soundtrack.

The album featured a mix of veteran and contemporary artists who performed traditional songs, many recorded live for the film.

“Man of Constant Sorrow“: Performed by the fictional Soggy Bottom Boys (with lead vocals by Dan Tyminski, a member of Alison Krauss‘s band), this mountain ballad became a significant hit and a key driver of the album’s popularity.

“O Death“: Dr. Ralph Stanley‘s a cappella rendition of this traditional Appalachian folk song won the Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal Performance.

Other notable contributors: The album featured performances by acclaimed artists such as Alison Krauss, Gillian Welch, Emmylou Harris, and the Fairfield Four.

Tracklist:

A1 James Carter & The Prisoners Po Lazarus
A2 Harry McClintock Big Rock Candy Mountain
A3 Norman Blake You Are My Sunshine
A4 Alison Krauss Down To The River To Pray
A5 Soggy Bottom Boys I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow (Radio Station Version)

B1 Chris Thomas King Hard Time Killing Floor Blues
B2 Norman Blake I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow (Instrumental)
B3 The Whites Keep On The Sunny Side
B4 Gillian Welch And Alison Krauss I’ll Fly Away
B5 Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss And Gillian Welch Didn’t Leave Nobody But The Baby

C1 Sarah, Hannah And Leah Peasall In The Highways
C2 The Cox Family I Am Weary (Let Me Rest)
C3 John Hartford I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow (Instrumental)
C4 Ralph Stanley O Death
C5 Soggy Bottom Boys In The Jailhouse Now

D1 Soggy Bottom Boys I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow (With Band)
D2 John Hartford Indian War Whoop
D3 Fairfield Four Lonesome Valley
D4 The Stanley Brothers Angel Band